The extended spring, endless rain and general lack of sun and 20-degree plus temperatures have left their mark on concerts and other events, with fewer people showing up.

Astrid Nõlvak, organizer of a festival on the island of Hiiumaa, said the ferries from the mainland were all full, but since it was raining, many decided to stay in their hotel rooms instead of coming to the actual festival.

“When the weather is sunny then people who are not great festival fans turn up,” she said.

Organizer of Star FM summer tour Emil Oja said that two factors are hurting concerts this summer – the bad weather and the high number of festivals. He said bad weather keeps around a third of people away.

Viru Folk's organizer Tuuli Potik said people have purchased tickets to her festival well in advance and sales are higher than last year. She said Estonians are used to not always being able to enjoy the sun and festival programs and performers play a bigger role in attracting people.

The summer so far in Estonia has seen more rain than sun, with temperatures passing the 20-degree-mark only on rare occasions.

Following the local elections in October this year, Reform Party founder, former prime minister, EU commissioner, and presidential candidate Siim Kallas took on the job of municipal mayor of Viimsi, a community on the outskirts of Tallinn. In his interview with ERR's Toomas Sildam, Kallas talks about local government, his party, the EU presidency, and perspectives in Estonian politics.